My work is a critique of the social and cultural issues surrounding the modification of the female body. Born in Ecuador and raised in South Florida has made me highly aware of the disparities of cultural values. My work is the result of research on the anthropology of sex appeal, learned social behavior and the studies on attraction. Through biological and evolutionary evidence I have found there’s a large amount of similarities between us and animals. Therefore I use animals to parallel our social structures and methods of mating. Like in most societies there’s a ranking system, American culture has place sex appeal on top. I feel through this obsession with the ‘Porn Star’ perfect body we are losing individuality and have created the acceptance of objectification.

In my work I create ink, watercolor and pastel drawings of hybrids of female humans and animals to parallel social behaviors, sexual habits or social ranking. I create scenes of fights, climbing to the top and mating; all showing competition and exposing their large enhanced breasts and butt implants. My work varies in mediums. I’m often inspired by photographs of wild animals such as monkeys, goats, sheep, and fish when I’m reminded of similar behavior traits or physical features we share with them. I’m interested in creating work that is humorous and can translate an awareness of how culture trends are leading to self-evolution by learned behavior (Monkey see, Monkey do). When analyzing this cultural shift from a scientific point you realize that it’s not about self-esteem (like most of the answers that are given by women who get plastic surgery; self-esteem doesn’t exist without the influence of others) but it’s about attracting another mate, reproducing, and creating “better” human traits. It’s ingrained in us to classify certain body parts that associate with fertility, status, and health from our ancestral needs. In reality we don’t change our DNA when we do breast augmentations and butt implants for vanity reasons, therefore are creating a false world that in the end only makes us more materialized and objectified.

I view the cultural trends of breast augmentation, butt implants, and lip enhancements as fake beauty because it’s objectifying women, affecting self-values, and creating a false world. Demeaning stereotypes are also occurring within this cultural shift despite women’s true identities. In my work I switch the roles of animals, creating them also victims of the domino effects of plastic surgery. I would like for people to reflect on how women have become their worst enemies by being part of the Sheeple generation, competing against one another and how the ‘ideal’ porn body image is influencing today and the future. I believe women should value themselves intellectually and not physically because being unique is being beautiful!

Every day is a challenge. Today I sit here wondering why, how, and when did I get here.
Feeling unsatisfied with my work, feeling lost from all the criticism, feeling confused about life decisions……where do you go when you keep getting pushed away from what your hand and mind are telling you to do? Who’s right when it comes to telling you what’s good in art, art scholars, your art friends, your professors, the public? I’m up to the point that i don’t even know what I want to make anymore…everytime I doubt myself and become paralyzed. The urge of making is gone. I’m depleted, and feeling hopeless.

Everyone has their own opinion on what direction “art” is going or should go. What the hell….I just want to make art that makes sense to me, so what it’s too obvious, or objective, or direct. I’m making a statement not a damn puzzle but of course the art scholars what to sit there and stare at the wall with a piece of wood, silicone and hair and say that it has wonder, it can be many things, you can question it.

How do you make work that has a purpose and a statement and create a moment of wonder? Or at least a puzzle so you can stand there and stare and ask….as if an object is going to come out and start talking? My problem is my work is screaming a statement and it’s too quick for others or they just don’t care about the subject. Perhaps it’s the second one. Ok, I get it that no one really will ever care so much about the things that I care about, so how do you merge your passion and interests into art that people will want to collect and admire?

I’m so fed up with what is Art…or should I say High Art. It’s either one way or the other.

My next piece will consist of talking about identity and cultural differences. Being born in Ecuador and being raised by a traditional and religious single parent has definitely made me feel a little different when being faced by the American culture. Even though I’ve lived here all my life, my cultural differences still exist today.

As you all know, The typical perfect American woman would probably be describe like one of the Playboy bunnies.
Well, I’m thinkning of doing a performance piece/video where I transform myself from a typical Ecuadorian woman to a playboy type of character, like Holly from Girls Next Door (or any of those girls from that show) Lol.

It definitely took a different direction from what it started as of as in my mind. At first I planned on reversing the Playboy logo and carving it out of chicken breast and hanging it on the wall with huge breast and pantyhoses. But somehow after discussing it with my professor, I was eared to make a doll instead.
Creating fabric patterns from my head for making this doll wasn’t easy, especially after having issues with the sewing machine. Uggh! But finally minutes away from mid-night I have finished!

This doll represents the influence of Playboy on the American culture and force expectations of what beauty should be.
Did you know the original Playboy bunny outfits were all sized D-cup, girls had to stuff their bras to create cleavage where they could store their tips, they were also force to wear nude nylons under their black nylons so all the girls had the same skin tone. The molded idea that the perfect woman should be a blonde, blue eyes, size D-cup, and a tiny waist is unreal.

The reality of beauty comes in many colors, sizes, and comes from within. When will the American culture learn to relect moral values, instead of vanity to the youth??